days
Total PTO days earned per year
Enter annual PTO dayshrs
hrs
Your current accrued PTO hours
periods
Project balance X pay periods ahead
hrs
PTO Earned Per Pay Period
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How PTO Accrual Works
Most employers spread your annual PTO entitlement evenly across each pay period. The more frequently you're paid, the smaller each accrual amount — but the total annual PTO remains the same.
PTO Accrual Formula
PTO Per Period = (Annual PTO Days × Hours/Day) ÷ Pay Periods Per Year
Hourly accrual rate = Annual PTO Hours ÷ Annual Work Hours (2,080)
Example: 15 days PTO, biweekly pay, 8-hr days:
Annual PTO hours = 15 × 8 = 120 hours
Per pay period = 120 ÷ 26 = 4.615 hours per paycheck
Hourly rate = 120 ÷ 2,080 = 0.0577 hrs PTO per hour worked
Example: 15 days PTO, biweekly pay, 8-hr days:
Annual PTO hours = 15 × 8 = 120 hours
Per pay period = 120 ÷ 26 = 4.615 hours per paycheck
Hourly rate = 120 ÷ 2,080 = 0.0577 hrs PTO per hour worked
Average PTO by Years of Service
- Less than 1 year: ~10 days average
- 1–5 years: ~10–15 days average
- 5–10 years: ~15–18 days average
- 10+ years: ~18–25 days average
💡 Tip: California, Colorado, Montana, and Nebraska prohibit "use it or lose it" PTO policies — any accrued PTO must be paid out when you leave. If you're in one of these states, your employer cannot legally expire unused PTO at year end.
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Frequently Asked Questions
PTO accrual per pay period = Annual PTO days × Hours per day ÷ Number of pay periods per year. For 15 days of PTO paid biweekly: 15 × 8 ÷ 26 = 4.615 hours per pay period, or about 0.0577 hours earned for every hour worked.
Divide total annual PTO hours by total annual work hours (usually 2,080). For 15 days (120 hours) PTO: 120 ÷ 2,080 = 0.0577 hours per hour worked. That means for every 17.3 hours worked, you earn 1 hour of PTO.
The average American worker with 1 year of service receives about 10 days of PTO. After 5 years the average increases to about 15 days, and after 10 years to about 17–20 days. Many companies offer 6–11 paid holidays separately from PTO.
A PTO accrual cap is the maximum PTO you can accumulate at one time. Once you hit the cap, accrual stops until you use some PTO. Caps are typically set at 1.25x–1.5x the annual accrual rate to encourage employees to take time off rather than bank unlimited leave.
Rollover policies vary by employer and state. California, Colorado, Montana, and Nebraska prohibit "use it or lose it" policies — earned PTO must be paid out upon termination. Other states allow year-end expiration of unused PTO. Always check your employee handbook and state laws.